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What the heck was Denuo doing at GDC? That’s the question you may be asking yourself. Well, we love a lot of things at Denuo. If you click the refresh button on your browser you’ll see our website header cycle through some of them. One of those things is an intense passion for games. And (our logic goes) what better place to learn about games than the conference for those folks who have spent their lives MAKING them.

For the 25th edition of the conference, this logic held. Denuo did have a place at GDC. What was most surprising, perhaps, was how much of an opportunity marketers truly have in the games space.

The industry finds itself amidst an unprecedented pastiche of innovation and change. Motion control, social media, smartphones, mainstream acceptance – four trends that in and of THEMSELVES can potentially turn the industry upside down are all hitting at the same time.

These four major shifts are changing the way we create, consume, and ponder games. They’re also interacting with each other in unprecedented ways to create brand new COMBINATIONS of innovative possibilities.

This is the place the “videogame” industry finds itself in. A place of immense upheaval. But more importantly – a place of opportunity. Never before has the medium of games seemed so wide open. The very definition of “videogame” itself seems up for grabs.

Let’s be clear – Denuo attended the 25th Game Developers Conference. The game developer is still very much the heart of this conference. But the teachers, the lessons, and the students learning those lessons were a much, much broader audience than just “developers.”

Games are as big an opportunity as you’ve been hearing – probably bigger. Outside signs have obviously pointed to this – but GDC11 proved that the internals of the industry are just as “white space” as the outside suggests. The games industry is indeed turning into something bigger, greater, and more wonderful than we thought possible. Get on this train while it’s still in the station – it’s going to be one helluva ride.

We’re in the process of distilling the beautiful chaos of our notes, videos, pictures, and internal debates into snack-sized insightful bites for you guys. In the meantime, here are our thoughts on five of the most talked about topics coming out of this year’s conference:

What’s with all the hate for gamification? - Gamification is being used to describe a wide range of products and services that examine how the elements that make games so engaging might be applied to the things in our lives that AREN’T so fun. It’s such a hot topic, that it necessitated a whole lecture/panel series at this year’s conference and the diversity of talks on the subject matched the diversity of approaches out there. Some want to take games’ most elementary mechanics (points, leaderboards, etc.) and apply them across a wide swath of marketing initiatives. Others are taking a deeper look at what makes games so compelling and bringing that “fun” to the real world to improve our reality. Not everyone was so bullish, however; there was plenty of gamification hate. Developers took issue with everything from the term “gamification” itself, to how it should be used to bring good to the world, to even the very base principles of game mechanics. Some went as far to say “Gamification is how you sell games to marketers who don’t know better.” As marketers are sometimes inclined to say, “a bad story is better than no story.” Regardless, gamification is here to stay – now we’ve got to figure out what to actually DO with it.

The Monster that is Social Games - No more arguing, social games are a big deal. Even with resistance from the hardcore, revenue from social games is projected to eclipse 2010’s substantial $1B number by year’s end, and that’s just the beginning. With some of gaming’s greatest designer minds making the jump to the social scene, and major players like Adobe and Unity announcing updated 3D and Flash export capabilities, these games will only become more robust and complex; quelling a major complaint from the hardcore. The increase in tablet penetration and smart phone technology further skyrockets the potential growth. As more resources (cash, mindshare, and talent) are dedicated to the social games space, so follows an exponential shift in opportunity and innovation.

Ok, I get it, they’re a big deal. But are social games evil? – Like all new forms of entertainment, social games are under some initial scrutiny. Sure they can be fun, and some even inspire meaningful social interactions, but in many cases the only way to advance in these games is to invest real money or bug your friends for help. Couldn’t it be argued that playing Wii or Rock Band with friends is a much more social experience? Now that major publishers are porting their AAA console titles to the social space, the question needs to be asked – Have we allowed ourselves to be backed into a corner by social games?

The Evolution of Exposition – New game announcements traditionally feature flashy, polished graphics and the title’s unique gameplay feature wrapped in a :60 soundtrack for mass consumption. A strange trend to consider when most games start in a designer’s head as a story or experience he’d like to share with the world. Unfortunately, realistic visuals or a revolutionary game mechanic are easier aspects for marketers to sell, ultimately stealing resources from the original core component. As games continue in the footsteps of their film brethren, from nascent curiosity to respected medium, this deprecating trend is not going unnoticed. GDC11 featured an overwhelming number of panels and lectures aimed at elevating story-telling, character development, and player identity. From the ludonarrative parity in Valve’s Portal, to the mythic archetypes evident via Nathan Drake in Uncharted 2, condensing the identity gap and minimizing traditional passive methods of exposition will set the stage for more impactful, dynamic experiences and the intellectual growth of the entire industry.

Iwata’s Keynote: We Must Protect This House – Nintendo President Satoru Iwata is one of the most respected executives in the game industry. With experience in nearly all areas of gaming, it’s safe to say that when he talks, people listen. So when Iwata warned the thousands in attendance that the high volume, low quality games currently flooding Facebook and App Stores could ruin gaming for good, for better or worse, people took note. Because content, not quality is what drives profit for social networks and smartphone manufacturers, there is little motivation to maintain the high value of videogame software. Some took this as an affront to the booming social and mobile markets. Others called it an accurate depiction of the current state of games. No matter what feelings were elicited, Iwata’s keynote in many ways was a call to arms, as he challenged attendees with a simple question: Is maintaining the high value of games a priority or not?

All images courtesy of the Official GDC Flickr

 

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